13 - Nikos Pappas

Greece

Birthday: 7/11/90

NBA Position: PG/SG

Class: International

Ht: 6-4

Wt: 195

Team: Real Madrid

Hometown: Amarousio, Greece

6

8

6

7

5

9

8

7

7

6

7

9

Overall

85

NBA Comparison: N/A

Strengths: Scoring combo guard ... One of the best young scorers in Europe ... Very adept going to the hole ... While he is right handed, he likes crossing over and finishing to his left, in fact he may actually be stronger going left than going right for a lay up ... He is very strong with the ball allowing him to get to the hole and score or get fouled, much like Lithuanian great Sarunas Marciulionis was able to do while in the NBA ... Great foul shooter and has the uncanny ability of frequently getting to the foul line ... Good release that extends past the three point line ... His crossover and ability to get to the rim allows him to create enough space for himself to shoot and hit the three point shot ...

Weaknesses: While he is a combo guard, he does not have the mentality, speed or the vision to be a strong NBA point guard .. He is also undersized to be an NBA two guard and does not possess elite athleticism to compensate ... While he is good with his change of pace and has deceptive speed with his crossover, he does not possess even average speed or athleticism for his position ... For him to have a chance in the NBA, he needs to have a bullish mentality and be willing to relentlessly go to the hole and sacrifice his body ... He has great natural strength but must continue to work on his body to withstand the pounding ... Must continue to develop and expand his mid-range game ... Could spend some time working on a quicker release for his jump shot ...

Strengths: Impressively clutch and mature player for his age ... always keeps a cool head down the stretch ... features countless intangibles you can't teach ... true leader on the court ... can create his own shot (at the junior level) ... above-average shooter from 3 pt range, though not a great one ... not a true point guard, but he can pass, too

Weaknesses: At 6′5″, and probably closer to 6′4″, Pappas lacks ideal size for an NBA shooting guard ... lacks great athleticism as well ... work ethic is questioned ... needs to add muscle; he has a massive body but is not exactly ripped ... doesn't show great intensity on defense ... seems to lack stamina or dedication, or both ... shooting accuracy needs to improve ... has yet to gain experience at higher level